As Jerry had predicted, Admiral Aokiji made no serious attempt to pursue them. The political implications were simply too complex—he was a high-ranking Marine Admiral, while Ace was officially a member of the Whitebeard Pirates, one of the Four Emperors. Both their identities carried significant weight in the delicate balance of power that governed the seas.
Marine regulations were crystal clear: avoid direct confrontation with the Four Emperors unless absolutely necessary. The current Marine forces simply weren't prepared for a full-scale war with Whitebeard's faction, not when they had countless other pressing matters demanding their attention. Pirates from every corner of the world were flooding into the Grand Line in unprecedented numbers, stretching Marine resources dangerously thin.
As the last wisps of fog dissipated across the now-calm ocean surface, Aokiji stood silently at the bow of his flagship, lost in contemplation. The surrounding Marines dared not interrupt their Admiral's brooding silence, waiting patiently for orders that seemed slow in coming.
"Ahhh... just write the report truthfully when we get back," Aokiji finally sighed, his characteristic drawl breaking the tense quiet. "Nothing more we can do about this one."
With that resigned command, the small fleet of warships slowly turned about, heading back toward their base while the Admiral continued staring pensively at the empty horizon.
Meanwhile, far beneath the ocean's surface, Jerry maintained careful control over their submerged ship as it cut through the dark depths. After nearly half a day of rapid underwater travel, he finally guided the ship back toward the surface, breaking through the waves with a tremendous splash.
"Wow! Brother Jerry, I saw so many incredible fish down there!" Carrot exclaimed, her rabbit ears practically vibrating with excitement.
"Wait, why do you look so upset?" she added, noticing Jerry's increasingly sour expression.
During their underwater journey, both Carrot and Carina had been chattering excitedly about the wonders they'd witnessed in the deep sea. But now that they'd surfaced, the little rabbit's attention turned to Jerry, who she knew loved fishing more than almost anything.
Carina, ever perceptive, immediately understood the situation and delivered the killing blow with obvious glee: "How could he possibly be okay? There were fish everywhere down there, but would any of them take his bait? Not a single one! He's absolutely furious!"
"Hahaha! I haven't seen you in a while, but your fishing skills are exactly the same as ever," Ace laughed, clearly remembering past experiences with Jerry's notoriously bad luck with fishing.
Deuce and Skull nodded in perfect understanding, having witnessed this particular tragedy countless times before.
"Just wait and see!" Jerry declared dramatically, pretending to cough up blood but actually spitting out seawater. "I'll catch some Sea Kings for you skeptics! Then we'll see who's laughing!"
"Sounds great to me," Ace replied, licking his lips at the memory. "Sea King meat is absolutely delicious. I had some when I was on the Moby Dick—definitely looking forward to more."
"Meow~" Kotatsu circled around Jerry's feet approvingly, clearly sharing Ace's enthusiasm for the potential feast.
"Alright, enough dreaming about food," Jerry interrupted. "Deuce, check our heading. We should be getting close, right?"
"Let me see... yes, we need to adjust course slightly to the east," Deuce confirmed after consulting his navigation instruments.
Under Jerry's expert control, their ship accelerated through the waves. Upon reaching the designated coordinates, he repeated his earlier technique, using his water manipulation abilities to simulate the effects of ship coating as they descended once again into the ocean depths.
By evening of the following day, their ship slowly glided into the familiar port of Fishman Island. Carina's eyes widened in amazement while Carrot cheered with unbridled joy as the underwater paradise came into view.
"It's so magical and beautiful!" Carina breathed, genuinely stunned by the sight.
"Sister Carina, have you been here before?" Carrot asked, practically bouncing with excitement.
"No, this is actually my first time. When I was part of trading caravans, we always crossed over the Red Line from above ground," Carina explained, her usual calculating demeanor softened by wonder.
Throughout their approach to the island, Carrot's mind had been blown by one incredible sight after another. Now she was animatedly discussing everything she'd seen with Carina, her enthusiasm absolutely infectious.
While the two young women chattered excitedly, Jerry felt something odd happen as their ship touched the dock. A familiar chime echoed in his mind—the unmistakable sound of his system activating.
[Ding! Random mission triggered: Fishing on Fishman Island.]
[Reward: 2x Daily Quest attribute rewards for one week & one (1) Surprise Treasure Chest.]
[Penalty for Failure: Hire a reporter to publish your three most embarrassing habits in tomorrow's newspaper.]
Jerry blinked in surprise. This random quest felt different somehow. Usually, missions only triggered when he was already near relevant locations for extended periods. Why had he received this prompt the instant they docked?
Still, he didn't dwell on such minor details—the broken system was obviously mocking his fishing abilities again. How could he possibly tolerate such blatant provocation? He fished every single day without fail! Sure, his technique might need some work, and admittedly the fish rarely cooperated, but that wasn't his fault.
Jerry firmly believed in being kind to himself and blaming external factors whenever possible. Life was too short for unnecessary self-criticism.
Just as he was about to leap onto the dock, Ace suddenly remembered something important and turned to Skull.
"Didn't Jinbe say he wanted to meet us here?"
"That's right. He mentioned he was already on the island and had something important to discuss," Skull confirmed.
"Well, looks like we'll have to wait for him then," Ace sighed, touching his stomach as hunger pangs began to strike. He'd been looking forward to rushing out immediately to sample Fishman Island's excellent cuisine—he'd enjoyed it immensely during their previous visit.
But since Jinbe had specifically requested this meeting, Ace reluctantly settled down on the deck to wait.
"Here he comes!" Jerry announced, his enhanced senses picking up the familiar presence.
Soon enough, the distinctive figure of Jinbe approached their ship, his usual warm smile lighting up his features as he stepped aboard.
"Welcome, everyone. It's good to see you've returned safely to Fishman Island," the former Warlord greeted them cordially.
"What's this? Are you working as an official greeter now?" Jerry asked, glancing behind Jinbe to confirm he'd come alone.
"Haha, I occasionally take on part-time duties," Jinbe replied with gentle humor before turning to Ace with obvious pleasure. "It's been far too long, my friend."
Despite their initial violent confrontation, the two had developed a genuine friendship through subsequent interactions and regular communication.
"Hey there, Jinbe! What brings you here?" Ace asked curiously. Their earlier Den Den Mushi conversation had been brief and mysterious.
After surveying the assembled crew members, Jinbe explained his purpose with characteristic directness.
"King Neptune learned of your arrival and asked me to extend a formal invitation to Ryugu Palace."
"The royal palace?" Ace repeated, perking up immediately—probably at the thought of royal cuisine.
"Indeed. If it's convenient, I'd be honored to escort you there tomorrow morning."
While Ace was clearly excited by the prospect, he turned to Jerry for the final decision. When Carrot heard mention of a royal palace, her eyes sparkled with wonder, though she remained respectfully silent.
The rest of the crew obviously understood that this invitation stemmed from Jerry's actions during their previous visit to Fishman Island, so they deferred to his judgment.
"That sounds perfect, Jinbe. We'll be ready to depart tomorrow morning," Jerry agreed without hesitation, recognizing that everyone was genuinely excited about visiting the underwater palace for their own reasons.
"Excellent. Since you've just arrived today, please take time to rest and explore the city at your leisure," Jinbe suggested graciously.
Then his expression grew slightly more serious as he shared additional news.
"There's one more matter you should be aware of. Reports about your confrontation with Admiral Aokiji yesterday have already reached the newspapers."